Crazy Stupid Love
by KellyLovesR5
Summary: So, I went through a lot of stress and unfortunately I deleted most of my fics. BUT, we are finishing this one and I might even update "Every Time I Need You" if you guys respond! Oh and I still love you all so much! This is my first ever co-written story with my bae, Nin930. Rosslington. Rockliff. Possible Open Ending. Gay scenes. Some graphic language. Romance. Drama. Violence.
1. Chapter 1 - He's Got Me Wishin'

**Author's Notes: **To those of you who may not already know, I went through a reeeeaaaally stressful time and I deleted literally all of my fics. I both regret it and I don't. It's all a very long and complicated story, but what you need to know is this:

**1.** Nin930 (now OopsItsNina on Twitter) and I will be finishing this story together. YAY! :D

**2.** I would GREATLY appreciate it if you would tweet, DM, PM or otherwise SEND me ANY parts of any of my stories that you may have saved, screenshot, tweeted or whatever. I would love to have pieces of my artwork back.

**And Most Importantly,**

**3.** If we get a good second response on this story, I will definitely be trying my hardest to type up a beautiful summary to my already planned out ending of "Every Time I Need You," if not updating the whole fic. SO PLEASE REVIEW!

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**Chapter 1 – "He's Got Me Wishin'"**

_"Hey, we're R5 and this is 'Wishing I Was 23.' "_

Ross began singing the song as if he were lamenting. It's a song he thinks about often in relation to Ratliff. The lyrics are almost a perfect fit for how he feels. Rydel steals a glance at Ross to see that his are glazed over, but she doesn't react on camera. Watching him too, Ratliff has to rub both hands against his knees in order to focus.

Ross tilted his head and enunciated - twenty-thhhree - into the mic. Ratliff could only bend his head back and roll his eyes in pleasure. He's been needing this all week, some sort of sexual tension, because the tour has been keeping them busy for ages. _Fuck, Ratliff, think happy thoughts,_ he tried to distract himself as Riker began to sing. The eldest band member sounded as if he were angry, and that was enough to avert Ratliff's attention and cause him to worry. Ratliff knew Riker's solid protection over Ross, but like, fuck, what was he supposed to do? He couldn't help it.

Rydel manages to nod her head to the music with Ross, and Riker plays it off for them by doing the same. Rydel smiles, feeling victorious that Ross has returned her action. Ratliff also smiles over at Ross as he watches him mouth the lyrics, "She's smoking hot." Ross then steals a glance over at him to see it and finally, he can't help his smile as he turns back to his mic. Rydel smiles because she notices it, too.

Ross' breath comes clear and evident over the mic, and Ratliff nearly falls from his seat. He actually falters on his beat for a split second, but he quickly recovers. Ratliff smiles at the camera crew and bites his lip, as shy as ever. Ratliff can't help but steal a glance at Ross after that, and Ross does the same. He smiles brightly as he has to tear his eyes away, only wanting to look at his best friend.

Riker steals a quick glare at Ratliff, but it is to no avail. The drummer doesn't even notice; his eyes are too focused on the floor and the task of keeping his rhythm steady. Riker thinks it's better that way.

On the final chord, Ross smirks, feeling happy with his performance. He steals a final glance over at Ratliff, wondering if his friend feels as proud as he does.

**A/N: PLEASE leave us a comment in the reviews if you want more updates!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Slowly, But Surely

**Chapter 2 – "Slowly, But Surely"**

{Rocky's POV}

The cameras cut off a little after my final chord of "23" resonated throughout the room. I love that this song is still so popular with our fans, even after the four years since Riker and I wrote it. It's one of my favorites to perform acoustically. I just love the sounds that my fingers get to strum in this song. At least, I usually do.

It was a bit hard to enjoy myself when all I could notice was Ross and Ratliff throwing stupid, cutesy glances back and forth to each other. I tried to close my eyes and block it out; just focus on the motion of my hands against the strings. But, I knew I couldn't keep my eyes closed for the whole video without fans commenting things like, "Wow Rocky, enjoy that nap during the performance?" Or, "What, are you trying to play the guitar blind to show off?"

Of course, I'd find that entertaining, but I need to be professional. So, every thirty seconds or so I would open my eyes and of course be bombarded with smiles and smirks from the flirty boys. _Obviously _not aimed at me.

I'm pretty sure that they try to hide their feelings from us, but it's obvious to everyone. You can even tell that Riker knows by the edge in his voice during the performance. And then Rydel is all smiles at the 'adorable couple'. _Adorable couple_, my ass. It's not adorable. It's not cute. It's annoying.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with Ross liking Ratliff and vice versa. But, I do have a problem with my baby brother having feelings for my _best friend_.

Those two are always together now. Playing video games together, watching movies on the couch together... Everywhere I look and _everywhere_ I go, there's Ross and Ratliff basically on top of each other. I never get to hang out with Ratliff anymore. Sometimes, I'm lucky enough for them to invite me along in their plans, but I just end up being the third-wheel and getting exiled from all of their inside jokes.

"That was great, guys," Riker chirped as we were getting up from our seats and heading back to our dressing rooms. "But uh, Ellington... What happened in the middle there?"

_Oh, ya know, he was just mentally banging our little brother._

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Riker. I uhm, had a really bad itch on my leg."

_Bullshit._

You could tell that Riker knew that Ratliff had just come up with some lame ass excuse. He knew damn well what had happened. You could hear it when Riker sang his verses for the song. The corner of Riker's mouth twitched before he answered, "Ah, I see. Okay no, it's uh... It's totally cool, man. It happens. Just be careful next time, alright?" Then, Riker grinned the fakest smile I've ever seen. Ratliff just returned it. Riker obviously doesn't approve of our little brother developing a stupid crush. And of course, he always feels the need to protect us from _everything_.

Looking over, I noticed that Ross had ignored the awkward tension now settling among everyone and twisted his arm up to check his wristwatch. He turned to Ratliff with this cheesy grin plastered on his face and practically screamed, "We finished earlier than I thought we would! Now, we've got time to go chill in the pool." He then smirked at our friend.

Ratliff's lips twisted up with excitement as he grabbed Ross' hand and ran off while yelling, "Let's go!"

Ross' smirk. Ellington's excited grin. He _grabbed_ his hand. All without a simple, "Hey Rocky, would you like to join?" Nothing.

I'm slowly, but surely, losing my best friend.

And to my own brother.

**A/N: REVIEW US if you want "Every Time I Need You" back!**


	3. Chapter 3 - It Was Flawless

**Chapter 3 – "It Was Flawless"**

Ross resurfaced from the water after throwing a full back layout into the pool. The young artist wore a child-like, giddy grin as he turned to face Ratliff.

"Holy shit! Ell, did you see that? I haven't pulled off a back full in so long!" Ross ran his hands through his wet, blonde hair, breathing heavily from the deep plunge into the pool. Ratliff couldn't help but smile at how excited his boy was. He loved seeing that smile plastered on Ross' face. He had also always admired how the Lynch's could throw perfect beams.

"Yeah, babe, I saw. It was flawless." Ratliff sat on the edge of the pool to dangle his feet in the water. Ross threw a small handful of the water up into Ratliff's face, making the older boy give a warm smile. Ross swam over to the wall of the pool where Ratliff sat, inserting himself between his legs. He placed his feet to the floor of the pool. The four-foot water surfaced just below his belly button.

"Hi," Ross whispered gently as he stared up to look at the only person who could do absolutely nothing and yet still make his heart flutter.

Ratliff bent down and grabbed Ross' chin, pulling his face up to plant a tender kiss on the younger boy's plump lips. Ross didn't even try to fight the smile forcing its way onto his face as he kissed Ratliff back. Ratliff pulled away with his forehead still against Ross', their noses brushing each other.

"Hi," Ratliff giggled. "You know, I remember the day you first pulled off a full back layout. I really liked that day."

The left corner of Ross' mouth twisted up into a half-grin as he reminisced on that special day. "Yeah. I liked that day, too."

Ratliff raised his hands in front of his face to keep the splashes of water caused by Ross' flop into the pool from invading his hazel eyes. Ross had been trying all afternoon to pull a full back layout off of the diving board. He poked his head up through the water and flicked his hair back out of his face. He turned around to face Ratliff, who was obviously holding in a snicker. Ross threw him a questioning look, but Ratliff just shook his head "no" and gave the young boy a thumbs down.

"Damn it! I thought I had it that time," Ross yelled, slapping the water with his palms as if to blame it for his failed attempt.

Ratliff frowned as he watched Ross. "No need for curse words, Ross," he admonished.

Ross merely eyed him from the side of the pool. He pushed himself up and headed for the board to try again.

"Yeah, that really hurt, too." Ross frowned a little as he remembered the moments of pain after hitting his head against the diving board on the next try and just before blacking out against the cold pavement. Watching him, Ratliff smirked. "I bet it did. You weren't out for long, though." Ross stared lovingly into his eyes. "Only because I had you there to help me," he answered. Ratliff couldn't help but blush at that. "Oh, you would have woken up eventually," he replied. Ross shrugged and sort of nodded. "Yeah, but I wouldn't have wanted to see anyone but you."

Looking at him again, Ratliff felt his stomach curl with love and affection for the boy in front of him. He decided that now was a better time than ever to take Ross' lips into his own and form his against them in a way that quickly had Ross holding back a moan. As soon as Ratliff pulled away, he heard a slight pant of breath accompanied by a harsh whisper: "Ratliff, please." The older boy smiled knowingly. "Come with me." Silently, he pulled himself up and began walking towards his hotel room. Ross smiled and eagerly followed him.

**A/N: Review if you want the ending to "Every Time I Need You!"**


	4. Chapter 4 - Crazy Stupid Lust

**Author's Notes: **Ooh all of our Rockliff readers are finally going to get their turn here! ;) Enjoy! Leave us a review, you must!

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**Chapter 4 - "Crazy Stupid Lust"**

_I see the way you've been shining lately._

_Put your hands all up on me baby._

_I see the way that you're moving, makes me say..._

"WOAH," Everyone screamed and grabbed onto something as the bus turned and jostled down the road. The group laughed, all of them excited to be heading home from the tour. Rocky smiled and turned towards the back of the bus with a plan in mind. The first thing that he wanted to do when they all got home was the same thing as it had always been: go swimming in the pool.

Rocky thought silently to himself as he packed. Oddly enough, he had noticed what looked like a purple bruise on Ratliff's neck early that morning. It was already late into the evening, but the small mark hadn't stopped bothering him since. _Nevermind it,_ Rocky thought. He had to focus on packing up so that he could enjoy being home. Still, it wouldn't hurt to coax an answer out of Ratliff. And, Rocky knew just how to do it.

By the time the bus arrived home, everyone was ready for some sleep. Rocky was always the only one who wanted to swim. So, for once, it was easy for Rocky to pull Ratliff away from Ross long enough to get him to talk. Carefully, as all of the others filed into their rooms, Rocky walked up behind Ratliff and slid his hands around Ratliff's waist. "What the-" Ellington mumbled, but Rocky stopped him. "Ssshhh. I just wanna know if you want to get in the pool, dude." Rocky's eyes shimmered as he looked up at Ratliff.

Ratliff couldn't say no. Smiling at Rocky, he agreed and reached for his extra pair of clean swimming trunks. Passing the two of them in the hallway, Ross' glassy eyes skimmed over the them as they headed for the pool. Smiling, Ross thought nothing of it as he continued toward his bed.

"So," Rocky began as he stepped into the pool outside, testing the water. "How was your trip?"

Ratliff gave him an awkward stare. "Well, you should know. I mean, you were there."

Rocky nodded, sinking deeper into the pool. "True, but I didn't see you very often since you were always spending time with Ross."

Ratliff began to argue that statement but found that he couldn't prove Rocky wrong. He frowned. "I guess I didn't spend that much time with you on the trip. Is _that_ what this is about? Aw, man, I'm sorry. I just-" Realizing that he might say too much about Ross, Ratliff stopped himself. "I just got carried away, I guess."

_Yeah, quite literally_, Rocky thought to himself. "No worries, I just like to know what's going on with you sometimes." Rocky smiled up at Ratliff from the midst of the pool. "Come on in. The water's fine," he coaxed. Ratliff smiled back at him and headed in. Rocky held his arms out toward Ratliff as he entered the pool. Ratliff looked up and saw Rocky silently asking for a hug. He gave a sheepish grin, ridden with guilt as he felt Rocky's arms wrap around his back. Then, he heard the groan of Rocky's deep voice in his ear. "Dude, you _so_ fell for it."

In a split second, Ratliff felt himself being lifted up into the air and then splashed down completely under the water. Screaming into the night air, he surfaced quickly and pounced onto Rocky's back as he tried to get away. "Why you little- HEY!" Ellington screamed again as Rocky grabbed his arms and threw him over his shoulders and into the water once more. Rocky laughed and Ratliff smiled with him as he resurfaced and leaned against the side of the pool, panting lightly. "You got me," he said.

Ratliff watched as Rocky reached for the pool remote that laid against the concrete on the other side of the pool. He couldn't help but notice – even in the dim lighting – that Rocky's strong muscles had developed significantly over the tour. Shaking the thought away, Ellington looked up into Rocky's eyes as he crossed the pool toward him. (Rocky had discarded the remote once he had set the temperature to just how he liked it.)

"What are you looking at," Ratliff asked him as he noticed that Rocky had been silently staring back at him.

Rocky seemed calm and collected. He stared into Ratliff's eyes. "Where did you get that bruise?"

Ellington subconsciously rubbed the side of his neck. His voice shook nervously. "Oh, that? Um, yeah…" His thoughts flashed before him; thoughts of Ross' blonde hair, soaking wet with sweat, and Ross lying in that hotel bed and the force Ross put behind biting into his neck when he had _finally _sunken himself into his tenderness.

"_Um_… I kind of snagged the side of my neck with one of my sticks during a show. No big deal," he said. Ratliff played it off with a sneaky smile.

Rocky's eyes never left Ellington's. "It looks like it hurt."

Ratliff swallowed almost silently. "Um, yeah. I mean. Y-yeah, I guess. I didn't really notice."

"_I bet you didn't._ _Too caught up in the moment, eh_?"

Ellington is too scared of being caught to notice the purely jealous tint to Rocky's voice. Suddenly, Rocky surprises him. He's been getting closer and closer this whole time and Ratliff swears he feels Rocky's breath on his lips when he says, "Want me to kiss it better?"

He is stunned for a moment. He doesn't know what to say and he doesn't know how to react but it doesn't matter because suddenly Rocky's lips are against his neck and he wants so badly to moan and push him away all at the same time. His body chooses the former for him and he feels Rocky's huge hands sliding down his body all at once. "P-please," he begs, but he doesn't know why.

"What," Rocky pulls away to ask him, even though he knows what Ratliff wants (even when Ratliff himself doesn't.) Just like that, Rocky's eyes are gazing into Ellington's and then Rocky is licking his lips. Just like that, they're both leaning in and Ratliff's ruining everything. He's ruining this beautiful new thing that he has with Ross because now Rocky's moist lips are against his and his fingers and palms are in Rocky's hair and he just wants to touch him everywhere but he's trembling and he doesn't know if he can. It's a pleasant first kiss, full of love and exploration and pleasure and sheer abandonment.

Rocky knows in the back of his mind that he's only doing this because he's angry. He's angry over what Ross has stolen from him - Ratliff's innocence - and he wants it back. He knows it. But, he doesn't care. He's willing to take what he can get of Ratliff because he also knows that there might not be another chance to. He doesn't consider himself a romantic, but he realizes that tomorrow, Ratliff has the option to reject him.

So, he kicks it up a notch. His long arms dip down into the water. Seconds later, Rocky's hands wrap around the back of Ratliff's knees and he hooks Ratliff's legs up tightly around his waist. His arms close around Ratliff's bare-skinned back and he labors slowly and carefully with his kisses. From somewhere unexpected, he lets out a soft moan and Ratliff's heart leaps in his chest.

Ratliff doesn't know why he feels the way that he does. He just knows that he can't let this night pass him by without having Rocky. He's been best friends with Rocky for years and he wants to know now, for some crazy reason, what it would be like to fall in love with him. Of course, he thinks he might already be doing so.

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**A/N: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review and tell my lovely co-writer, Nina, how much you love her and her work because she jump-started this entire chapter and I wouldn't be posting this if it weren't for her. Big love . xx Also, let me know if you want the FULL ending of the Rosslington series! I need more reviews if I am going to continue all of this!**


	5. Chapter 5 - On the Outside Looking In

**Author's Notes: **Okay so first, I'm SO SO SORRY for it taking me this long to update! I have had A LOT going on and things have been crazy BUT I did finish writing a very, very, very (and when I say very, I mean vERY) emotional chapter to "Every Time I Need You," so at least 10 new reviews here if you want that!

Oh and thank you all SO much for over 400 views so far! That's awesome! :)

I am more than happy to be posting this chapter for you, though, because I had been waiting so long to finish writing it. Nina wrote most of this, so give her a huge THANK YOU. :D Enjoy and please leave Nina and I a review!

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**Chapter 5 - "****On the Outside Looking In**"

{Ross' POV, First-person}

The amount of pressure on my bladder when I woke up was too great for me to even bother trying to fall back asleep. I forced myself up and out of bed before my whole body exploded. Glancing at the clock on my way down the hall, I noticed that it had only been about an hour since we'd arrived home. _Ugh_, I thought._ I'm never going to get any rest._ I chose not to turn the light on as I entered the hallway bathroom. I ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to shake off this awful groggy feeling. _I'd rather not pass out at the toilet. I could just hear Riker and Ryland cackling upon the sight of me sleeping on the bathroom floor, pajama pants halfway to my ankles. Yeah, no thanks._ Finishing, I flushed the toilet and then washed my hands at the sink. The only thing that I could think about while drying my hands was how thirsty I was._ Damn_ was my mouth dry. Remembering the concerts and the screaming fans and how little an amount of restful sleep I had gotten in the past few weeks, this came as no surprise.

I tiptoed down the stairs, ever so slowly making my way to the kitchen. I was walking past the sliding glass doors that led to the back patio when something caught my eye. Or, more like 'some_ones_.' Rocky and Ratliff were still in the pool, swimming. You'd think that after such a long bus ride home, they'd be passed out in bed like the rest of the family. I guess the hype of the tour still hasn't fizzled away from them yet. I couldn't help but laugh at my brother and my love. Rocky was throwing Ellington over his shoulders and dunking him underwater. _Mmm, water. Man, I'm thirsty._

The kitchen tile felt cool and relaxing beneath my feet. I wriggled my toes around on the floor, enjoying the coolness in this settled summer warmth. I walked over to a cabinet to grab an extra tall glass. As the water from the sink spewed into the glass, I couldn't help but think about how content with my life I was. The band had just gotten back from a successful tour. The album was soaring through the charts. I had a man to call my own, to kiss, and to put a smile on my face_. I'm more than content, more than satisfied; I am happy, _I thought. There was no stopping the smile that forced its way onto my face.

_Let's face it. The main reason for my happiness is Ellington. This tour has brought us so much closer and I don't regret a single second of it. I love him. I love Ellington Ratliff… Speaking of the handsome devil, I wonder if he is still losing that water battle to Rocky..._

Outside, Rocky has just picked Ellington up and carried him over to the outdoor patio. The dim lighting is just enough for him to navigate and for them to see each other. When Rocky lays Ratliff underneath him on the small couch, Ratliff takes his hand and quickly pulls him down beside him. He is already climbing on top of him when Rocky regains his wits. Ratliff slowly slides his hands up Rocky's legs. Rocky's eyes are blown wide by what Ratliff does next.

{Back to Ross' POV}

Stepping into the living room, I felt the warmth of comfort underneath me as my feet slid against the thick carpet. When I looked up, I was instantly appalled by what I saw. Rocky and Ratliff had moved to the patio for some reason. They were laying on the couch _kissing each other_ in the dim lighting. As my eyes trailed down Ratliff's bare body, I instantly noticed that he had removed his shorts and thrown them to the cement beside him. Finally, I saw the one thing that I did_ not_ want to see:

Ellington was fucking my brother.

He had pushed Rocky's knees up and was holding him there as he shoved into him with a good bit of force. I felt my stomach lurching into my chest as it threatened to empty all of its contents. In my shock, I had forgotten that I was holding a glass in my hand. I squeezed the clear glass so hard that it smashed all over my hand and then onto the floor. Releasing the last few shards of the glass, I opened my palm and looked down at it. I had a long gash across the inside of my hand and I could already feel tears welling at my eyes. Taking one final look out the window, I covered my face with my clean hand and ran down the hallway for the bathroom.

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**Author's Notes: **I'm so, so sorry for all of the sad feels! I know it hurts now but maybe it'll get better? You'll have to stay tuned to see!

Also, I'm not gonna put a limit on this one or the next one but on the chapter after that, you all need to leave AT LEAST FIVE NEW REVIEWS if you guys want it!

SO, five reviews for Chapter 7 of this and ten reviews for the new chapter of "Every Time I Need You."

Feel free to tweet the link and/or the cover photo of this and tell all of our R5Family to read it!

Got it? Okay, GO!


	6. Chapter 6 – Falling Apart

**Author's Notes: **Well first I have to say that Nina wrote this one and isn't she just flawless? :3

Okay so this one is long but TEN NEW REVIEWS OR MORE IF YOU WANT CHAPTER 7! (And keep in mind that so far, this fic is only going to have 8 chapters total so we're getting close. ;P)

p.s.- Sorry Paige for stealing your idea about getting reviews but hey, I hope it works. haha ;P

LEAVE A REVIEW!

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**Chapter 6 – "Falling Apart"**

Ratliff awoke with a soft smile still lingering on his lips. His eyelids rose gently in favor of completing each task one step at a time. Finally, he rose from the bed to see Rocky's thick arm slip down from where it had been encasing him against the bed. Ratliff couldn't help but smile. Aside from the dull ache in his crotch, Ratliff felt as if he were dancing, a steady, "1— 2—" lulling in his step. His thoughts were still slurred from how taken he had been the night before. But, the one thing prevalent on his mind was Ross. Ross' smile. Ross' laugh. Ross' body. _Everything_ about Ross. And the fact that now, he was going to have some serious explaining to do. It didn't take long for Ratliff to realize that he needed to step out for a while.

Across the hall, Ross is still lying awake in his bed. He has sobbed for the entirety of the night, making sleep an impossibility. He simply doesn't understand how someone like Ratliff could have cheated on him. _And with his own brother! _Ross' chest feels empty. There is a silvery gray kind of pain that has spread throughout his body. It makes him feel completely numb; in fact, lifeless. He can't say that he hates the feeling, though. At least he's still feeling something. _Unlike Ratliff._

And then there's Rocky. How could he even _think _that something like this would be acceptable?! Much less forgivable! When Ross scans his mind for his older memories with Rocky, he is depressingly reminded of each and every time that Rocky has done right. For Ross, it had seemed like he was on the outside of talent looking in growing up. Yes, he knew how to play many instruments, and everyone had told him that he could sing. But what Ross had always felt inside of him was that Rocky was just _better_. Everything about his guitar technique made Ross look and feel like an idiot, and Ross had always hated that.

Silent, Ross slammed his shaking fist against the bed and turned to cry into his already soaked pillow.

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Rocky grabbed Ratliff's hand and yanked him into the garage as soon as he caught him walking up the driveway. "Rocky, what are you-" Ratliff was cut off by Rocky's lips smashing down on his own. Ratliff had returned to the house to see Ross, but now it seemed as if those plans were changing. He knew that now was not the time for him to return the same motions of Rocky's lips, but he just couldn't resist giving in. He put his hands on Rocky's chest as Rocky pushed him into a wall. Ratliff bunched up Rocky's shirt in his fists. Rocky smiled through the kiss and then grabbed Ratliff's wrists, pinning them against the space of wall that lie above his head. Nervous thoughts raced through Ratliff's mind and caused him to open his eyes and pull away from Rocky.

"Mmm, what's wrong, Ell," Rocky asked as he slowly opened his eyes. "Don't think you could handle a second round?" Rocky then smirked at the older boy.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Ratliff answered.

Rocky looked straight into Ratliff's eyes and could only muster up a small frown.

Ratliff continued in hopes of rectifying himself from that statement. "I came here to see Ross. He's gonna get suspicious and wonder what happened and-"

Rocky interrupted Ratliff as he stammered out his thoughts. "But I thought... Ratliff, we... We had sex. We had sex in the pool!"

Ratliff gave a knowing sigh. "Rocky, look. I'm so sorry, but I love Ross."

"You love _me_."

"Yes, Rocky. I love you. Of course I love you, but-"

"No. No '_buts_!' _Ellington_..." Rocky couldn't get the right words to flow from his mouth. So, he just shook his head at his best friend. The best friend whom he had somehow developed feelings for. The best friend whom he wanted to be his _boyfriend_. Ratliff put his hand on Rocky's shoulder, but Rocky just shrugged it off.

Noticing as his own eyes began to fill with tears, Rocky exited the garage with his head down, only to bump into someone. He lifted his head slightly to find the last person that he wanted to see. Rocky looked over the face of his blonde younger brother, finding that there were dark, heavy tear paths staining his cheeks. Rocky's mouth fell ajar and his eyes went blank. He didn't want to speak to Ross; he _couldn't_ speak to him. Rocky closed his mouth and simply walked past his little brother and into the house.

Ratliff was still analyzing what had just happened between himself and Rocky. He loved Ross. He could never deny it. But then there was Rocky, his best friend. The boy that would always be there for him. The boy that made his heart skip a beat. Of course he loved him. How could anyone not love him?

_But Ross... _

_But Rocky... _

Ratliff shook his head back and forth as if to shake the thoughts out of his mind. He felt as though he were going crazy. Ratliff walked out of the garage to find Ross standing by the edge of the pool. Ratliff noticed that he was staring down into it at his reflection; _his gorgeous, breathtaking reflection…_

Ratliff walked up behind Ross, slipped his arms around his waist, and gently kissed his neck. Ross placed his hands over Ratliff's and closed his eyes, letting yet another tear escape. Ratliff felt the tear drip onto his lips. "Baby, what's wrong," Ratliff asked him in worry for his love. Ross pulled Ratliff's hands apart and gently pushed them down from his waist. He wanted to scream. He wanted to thrash. However, all he could muster up was a measly, "How could you?"

Ratliff was confused, but nervous. "How could I _what_," he asked.

At this point, Ross was livid; enraged with anger and disappointment. He finally just turned around and started screaming.

"How COULD you?! How could you cheat on me! How could you have sex with my own fucking brother?"

Empty, broken tears were pouring down Ross' face and he couldn't find the strength to stop them.

Ratliff just stood still in shock. In shock of Ross' outbreak… In shock of how fast his chest could rise and fall... In shock of being caught…

"Ross-" Ratliff finally pleaded, but he was cut off by an intensely broken young blonde.

"No! Don't '_Ross_' me! I SAW you! I saw you… And _Rocky_. I saw you two last night. I HEARD you. How could you do _that_ in such a special place for us? The pool where we first admitted our feelings for each other!" Ross felt his own voice drop out. The next line was one which he could only whisper: "The place where I first realized I loved you."

Ross continued to sob beyond his own control. Ratliff still just stood there, at a loss for words. 'Loved'. The word echoed in his mind. He had never meant for Ross to find out. He had never meant to hurt him. That was why he had stopped the little meet-up with Rocky in the garage. He _hated_ himself for all of this. Ratliff looked up at Ross and opened his mouth, but no words came out. So, he just tried to wrap Ross into a tight embrace.

Ross pulled Ratliff's arms off of him and pushed him away. He screamed, "NO!"

Ratliff grimaced at the word. He now felt his own eyes starting to well up. He reached his hand out to tenderly grab Ross's face, but Ross silently slapped it away.

"_Ross, please._ Let me explain!"

Ross shook his head _no_, breathing heavily from the tears. Ratliff took a step forward, but Ross put his hands out and continued to shake his head. He tried to take another step back from Ratliff and felt himself lose balance and then tumble into the pool. Ratliff gasped and screamed Ross' name. Ross quickly resurfaced from the fall. Ratliff managed to ask him if he was okay as he stuck his hand out to pull the younger boy up. Ross only swatted Ratliff's hand away and screamed back at him. "NO, GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Riker was in his room strumming away randomly on a guitar when Rocky walked in and slammed the door shut. Riker stopped mid-strum and asked his brother: "Woah, bro, what happened to you?" Rocky turned his head away from Riker in the hopes that he didn't see the tears that were streaming down his face. "Nothing. Don't worry about it," he said. Rocky then walked over to his bed and lay down facing away from his older brother. Riker rose an eyebrow at the response. He got up to walk over to Rocky's bed when he heard screaming. Riker turned his head to look out of the bedroom window. He saw Ross, fully clothed, climbing out of the pool and screaming at Ratliff. He knew his band mate had done something to his little brother. He had known that Ratliff would hurt Ross. He had almost been waiting for it.

Riker immediately rushed out of the door and towards the pool to help his baby brother up. As he finished pulling Ross out of the pool, he noted that Ross absolutely soaked. Yet, even though he was dripping wet, Riker could still tell that he had been crying. Ratliff moved to hold Ross, but Riker just slapped him away. "What the fuck did you do," he yelled.

Ratliff looked up at Riker and tried to explain, "Riker, look, I didn't-"

Riker shook his head and replied, "I didn't ask you what you _didn't_ do. I said what the fuck DID you do! Did you fucking push Ross into the pool?"

"What? No, of course not. I was trying to explain to him that-"

Riker cut him off again, even more angry.

"No, you're not explaining shit to _him_. You're explaining it to _me_." Riker screamed at him. Ratliff stood there just staring at him, not knowing how to respond. Riker stared into the drummer's eyes and took a deep breath. "Now please, Ellington. Enlighten me. Why the hell did I hear my little brother screaming? Why _the fuck_ was he crying? What did you do?!" Ratliff opened his mouth to speak, but he was only able to muster a stream of stutters.

"He cheated on me. With Rocky. _He fucked our brother_," Ross chimed in.

Riker stared at Ross, his mouth ajar, unable to process what he had just heard fall from Ross' lips. He shut his eyes as he felt a teardrop surface. He could almost feel his heart breaking for Ross. Riker turned his body to Ratliff and took two steps toward the drummer. Softly yet sternly he said, "I think it would be best if you left."

"Riker look can't we just try to talk this all out so that-" Riker bolted into Ratliff's face and brought his right hand over his mouth to stop his sinning lips from bringing any more pain to his family.

"I said _leave_," Riker hissed through his teeth.

Ratliff didn't move an inch.

Riker clenched his jaw and shoved Ratliff away, yelling, "Fucking go!"

Ratliff stepped toward Riker with his hands up, palms facing outward in caution, opening his mouth to try to reason with his band mate. Riker was _not_ in the mood. He shoved Ratliff away from him and into the wall. Ratliff closed his eyes and hissed at the pain that was now resonating throughout his back. He looked up to Ross. He saw his love standing there, tears falling down his face, mouth open in bewilderment. He then looked across to Riker. He was huffing, his chest puffing with anger. Ratliff was done with trying to talk things out, so he walked up to Riker and swung his fist towards Riker's jaw. Riker moved his head, avoiding Ratliff's fist.

Riker grabbed Ratliff's arm and yanked it towards his chest, causing their bodies to collide. Riker had also lifted his knee up to meet Ratliff's groin. Ratliff bent over in pure agony. Riker's left hand then gripped onto Ratliff's shoulder as he hooked his right fist into Ratliff's stomach repeatedly. Riker could hear Ross screaming his name behind him, but he didn't care. He blocked the world out as he beat the bastard that caused pain to his little brother.

Suddenly Riker felt a forced and painful jab land on his left jaw. His body spun right and he stumbled to the ground. He sat up and grabbed his face, wincing in pain. Riker looked up to find his brother, Rocky, standing above him with his fists balled up and his chest heaving. He stared at his brother, confused.

"Don't you ever fucking touch him again," Rocky screamed down to his older brother.

"Rocky, what the fuck?! What the _hell_ are you doing?" Riker couldn't believe he was actually defending Ratliff.

"I will not let you hurt Ratliff, hurt the boy that I care about so deeply."

Ratliff was dumbfounded at the scene happening before him.

Riker got up and walked over to Rocky before asking, "Are you serious? Are you actually doing this right now?" Riker threw his arms out to his sides, unable to process the whole situation.

"Riker, I love him." Rocky spit out the phrase for the first time without thinking.

Riker stared up at his brother for a minute, trying to make sense of what he had just said. He didn't understand how Rocky could do this to his own little brother. When he decided he would stop bothering to understand their soap opera drama, he lunged back at Rocky, tackling him to the ground. Rocky put his arms out in front of him in efforts to protect himself. The two pushed and pulled and kicked at each other, rolling around on the pavement. The occasional punch was of course thrown.

Ross didn't know what he should do. The tears just kept pouring from his eyes and dripping off his chin to his still soaking wet shirt. He put his hands to his ears and shook his head, like a young child listening to his parents argue, as if to block out the whole situation from happening entirely. Ross backed away slowly before completely turning and running. Running to the one person who he knew could calm him down right now.

Riker and Rocky were tangled up in each other, each kicking and punching at the other. Ratliff screamed their names, begging the boys to stop fighting. When he moved towards them in efforts to pull them apart, he felt a fist swing around into his face. He backed away not knowing whom the hand belonged to, just that it had hurt. He brought his hands to his face, half to ease the physical pain he felt and half to stop the tears from surfacing to his eyes.

Riker was done with Rocky's bullshit. He would wholeheartedly admit was never too fond of Ross and Ratliff being together in the first place. However, that did not give Rocky the right to go behind his brother's back and hook up with Ratliff! Riker became more enraged at the thoughts racing through his mind. He brought his fist up to pummel it into Rocky's face when he suddenly felt someone grab his fist and pull him off of his brother. He swung his arm around to release himself from the person's grip. He turned around to scream at Ratliff, "Get the hell off of me you-" Riker stopped mid-sentence when he realized that it was his father that had ahold of his arm. Mark Lynch frowned angrily at his son, jaw clenched tight.

"Dad" Riker breathed out.

"Yeah. Dad." Mark shook his head at Riker and turned to bend down and grab Rocky's hand, pulling him up to his feet.

"Now, who wants to explain to me what the _heck_ is going on here?" The angry father looked back and forth. To Rocky. To Riker. To Ratliff. "Ellington?"

Ratliff nodded his head toward Mark, replying, "Sir?"

"What happened?" Mark threw his arms up in question.

Rocky stepped in before Ratliff had the chance to speak. "Riker was beating up my boyfriend, that's what happened," he screamed angrily.

"Boyfriend?" Mark turned his head to Ratliff in confusion. "But I thought that you were-"

"_With Ross?_" Riker chimed in. He smirked evilly at Ratliff. "Yeah, that's what we all thought." Riker turned his gaze back to his father. "Turns out he's been cheating on Ross with _this bastard_," Riker pointed to Rocky before trying to lunge toward him again. Mark stepped in between his sons before any more physical damage could occur. He held one hand each against Rocky and Riker's chests.

He turned to Ratliff with obvious sternness in his voice and said, "I think you should go."

Finally, Ratliff nodded to him. "Yes, sir." He quickly walked through the gate of the fence and away down the driveway.

Mark looked back and forth between his sons with hurt apparent in his eyes. "I don't think I could _be_ any more disappointed in you two. Since when does fighting solve anything?" All Mark could do was shake his head at them. He then let go of their shirts and told them to go inside. Silent, the slowly two began to walk away. Mark placed his right hand on his forehead. He breathed out a heavy sigh, wondering why his family was falling apart. He looked up to find that Ross was nowhere in sight. He looked back and forth across the backyard before quickly turning to his sons.

"Wait, boys...! Where's Ross?"

Riker and Rocky turned around to look at their father. They stared at him in confusion and then looked at each other. _Where __**was**__ Ross?_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Oh hey guys I just remembered, if you've been looking for me on Twitter, I recently changed my name to ( summerlouve_ ) so tweet me what you thought here with that name!

TEN NEW REVIEWS FOR A TOTALLY NEW CHAPTER OF "Every Time I Need You"

AND FIVE NEW REVIEWS IF YOU WANT CHAPTER 7!

I'll try to post Chapter 7 of this by the end of next week for sure! :) Hey, maybe we'll even be done with the fic by then. See ya! :D


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